San Rossore Park

This final holistic scenario includes several facilities Italy endorsed by the Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli Natural Regional Park Authority in Province of Pisa (Tuscany Region in Italy). There are several farms operating within the protected area of the Park which are specialized in different types of agricultural production, ranging from horticultural products, fruit, olive oil and wheat to livestock (cows, sheep and horses). In order to focus on increasing access to locally- produced food by helping agricultural smallholders and small producers to work together, it is important to create a synergistic network between the Park and the farms. This approach could contribute to gain the best market access through single farmers’ markets, on-farm sales, restaurants, internet sales and other distribution channels. The motivation is to increase smallholder incomes and to revitalize rural economies, in ways that turn into a resource for building food security for rural and urban populations and based on access to locally-produced food of known- origin (traceable), while contributing to the protection of natural and cultural heritage, expertise, values, farmer traditions and food security as well. For these reasons, it is relevant to involve also other companies, whose mission is the agri-food processing, that are located in Tuscany region territory.

In order to promote a cooperative agri-food chain, the Park authority developed a formalized collaboration with local farm partners and farm companies inside the Tuscany region focused on finding ways of using local food to revitalize rural economies and create interests in end consumers. The project called “Farms recommended by the Park” has the objective to design a long term cooperation based on bringing together people, organizations and resources sharing a common motivation and philosophy to locally-produced food and agricultural practices. The park intend to promote a well-defined framework for organizing short value chain food systems based on direct selling both from the point of view of farmers and of consumers (who increasingly demand locally- grown food of known origin). Moreover, the Park authority seeks to bring about regulatory changes in food safety and tax systems to enable the development of local food systems based on shortening the value chain, as well reinforce the sustainability concept and preserve traditions, expertise and values of local agricultural communities.

Technologies in AFarCloud platform can support an innovative short food supply chain management in which sustainability pathways can be found and experimented in order to approach the key challenges in modern agriculture, like climate change and biodiversity loss, environmental protection and reduction of agrochemicals, resource optimization, sustainable livestock, and Food security as well. AFarCloud platform also offers different kind of services in order to manage the agricultural processes, ranging from adaptive autonomous vehicles for reducing the soil compaction impact to monitoring principal crop variables, as well as livestock monitoring and their parameters.

IoT devices communication, sensing capabilities and cloud platform can offer a source of data of great value and expand the type of analysis that farmers and agronomists will conduct, Task planning, live monitoring and other actuation actions can be carried out with a tablet from any location. The satellite-based navigation provides autonomous operation and geo-referenced record keeping. Legacy vehicles integration in AFarCloud platform provides the opportunity for an economic outcome for farmers because they obtain a consistent Return on past investment.

Blockchain Technology integrated in AFarCloud services offers a certified electronic process to transparently view into the details of the agricultural products for end consumers. Every step in the chain from the farm to agri-food activities are recorded and certified. Provenance and radical transparency, trust and Real-time management of supply chain transactions deliver real value for a more integrated production. This final holistic scenario will demonstrate the benefits of the AFarClould platform and all the related technology integrated there. Over the results from previous scenarios, it is expected be tested a management of trusted food chain among companies.